International solidarity with the citizens of Mahalla and the detainees continues. In New York City a protest will take place on Monday. See the statement below I received from NYC-based activist:
Solidarity Picket for Egyptian Protesters
Egyptian Consulate in NYC
1110 Second Avenue between 58th & 59th Street
Monday, April 14th at 1pm
Over the last week, mass protests have erupted in Egypt – centered around the textile mill of Mahalla. These protests have erupted in response to spiraling food prices and severe hunger, anger at the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak and long unmet demands of the Mahalla workers. Not able to suppress the protests, Mubarak security forces used rubber bullets, tear gas and live ammunition against the Mahalla people, who had decided to protest on the streets of the city and in different villages, leaving at least two dead and hundreds injured. More than 800 people have been detained, including 150 political activists and 600 Mahalla workers (mostly women and children). Most recently, the leader of the pro-democracy movement Kefaya has been arrested.
We will be demonstrating, along with activists around the world, in support of our Egyptian brothers and sisters.
What you can do:
-please forward this announcement widely
-attend the picket and bring a sign if you can
-call or fax the Egyptian Consulate to register your protest: phone – 212-759-7120; fax – 212-308-7643
-if you would like to endorse this protest, contact jenroesch@gmail.com
In Turkey, Simon Assaf reports that:
Turkey’s Social Rights Center, Labour Research and Solidarity, Socialist Demokrasi Party and Antikapitalist group organized a protest outside the Egyptian embassy in Istanbul in solidarity with Mahalla workers.
Greek activist Yiannis Sifakakis sent the following message:
Today [Friday] “Stop the War Coalition” together with Arab activists and friends from “Center of Research and Study for the Middle East” we organized a protest in front of the Egyptian Embassy in Athens. Our slogans were “Solidarity with the workers in Egypt”, “Down with the regime of Mubarak”, “No collaboration of the Greek government with the dictatorship of Egypt”.
The General Confederation of Workers (the Greek TUC) published a press release in support for the strikers of Mahalla (see below) which we gave to the staff of the Embassy.
In solidarity.
Check out some of the photos from the protest.
And I received the following from Austria:
Solidarity with the Mahalla workers AUSTRIA
Dear comrades,
in solidarity with the Mahalla workers and all political activists fighting against the dictatorship in Egypt we’ve organized a demonstration in front of the egyptian embassy in Vienna (Austria) on Thursday, 10th April.
Attached you can find two photos of our small but loud demonstration. On our placards was written:
– solidarity with the Mahalla workers,
– free trade unions for Egypt,
– Mubarak = murder,
– freedom for political prisoners and
– down with Mubaraks terrorist regime.
If possible, please put the photos on homepages like so that all activists can see our solidarity and support to bring Mubarak down.
Moreover we are in contact with the trade union of the textile workers here in Austria and their international umbrella organization to get a solidarity statement for the Mahalla workers.
So, let us fight together for a better world without dictatorship and exploitation!
Red regards
In solidarity
Didi
(Linkswende – International Socialist Tendency AUSTRIA)
Reporters Without Borders also issued a statement denouncing the arrest of bloggers Muhammad el-Sharqawi, Esraa Abdel Fattah Ahmad, and Kareem el-Beheiri. The press rights watchdog also denounced the crackdown on journalists covering the events, including James Buck, who posted the following testimony on his website:
I am a student journalist, studying at University of California Berkeley. I came to Egypt 24 March 2008 to do some reporting for a student project. On 6 April I traveled to Mahalla having heard of the strike planned. On 7 April I returned and covered the ensuing riots. I was helped by a friend I’d met, Mohammed Salah Ahmad Maree. On 10 April around 6pm I was photographing outside the Mahalla police 1st station where some families who had missing sons, brothers, fathers that had been detained, in many cases without record (so the families don’t know if their people are dead, or in jail, or what), were making a small protest outside the station, and I recorded some ambient audio (not interviews). Police surrounded me and despite the efforts of the crowd to get me free, police caught our taxi and told the driver I was from the CIA. They boarded the taxi and took us to Mahalla 1st station and interrogated us, accusing us of being revolutionary leaders (not true) and demanded to see inside my bag. I held out for a few hours and on the condition of being released for the search, gave them the bag. They took my memory card and camera and searched the photos. We were not released.
Mohammed and I were accused, threatened and intimidated. We were not harmed physically. After midnight they took us to the prosecutor’s office where we made statements and signed them (in Arabic) that we were students, not leaders, and they gave me back my camera. They kept my memory card. They gave us an unconditional release.
Repeat: we were released without condition, set free, no charges.
Outside the prosecutor’s building we were again apprehended by the same officer who had driven us to the office and re-detained, despite telling him we were free. We were not allowed to go back to the prosecutor to get our release papers, despite having the record number. We were taken back to first station without charge or explanation. They said I could go free but Mohammed had to stay. I said no, I’ll stay til we leave together since we were both freed without charge. I said I would not eat until our (his) unconditional release.
We stayed there several hours until around 8 or 9 am until my lawyer hired by my university arrived. He said he could take me but not Mohammed. I said no I would stay. During these past hours I had received many text messages and phone calls of support which kept me going and advised me. I stayed several hours with Mohammed until they took him to a separate holding cell. I stayed on and waited for his release. During this time the city of Mahalla was locked down by police and a convoy of doctors, medical supplies, professors and journalists was stopped at the city border and detained. Police said they would release Mohammed after the afternoon prayer. Prayer came and went and no release. Finally the chief said he was sending Mohammed to station number two and I had to leave. I asked to stay and was told no. I asked to go to station 2 and was told no. My lawyer took me back to Cairo and I plan to leave soon for the US.
Muhammad Salah Ahmad Maree remains in police custody without charge that I know of. Most prisoners there while we were in prison were hungry and thirsty, without food or drink 14 hours, Mohammed said. One was quite ill and needed medicine. Mohammed tried to get food and medicine to the prisoners as the last act I saw him do. Throughout the time we were together he was steadfast, compassionate and committed to helping me and helping journalism and the truth.
The city of Mahalla has to date some 300 prisoners, many held without record and their families are very worried. I have photos and interviews I have sent to the US ahead of me.
Many, many more political prisoners are held in Egypt, including journalists from many organizations, bloggers, political opposition groups and at times professors and many many private citizens. The conditions that I saw are not humane, without charges, lawyers or any information to the outside, and often without food or drink.
Many officers in the station were sympathetic and kind to us as were many, many people I met and who befriended me in Mahalla. It is an incredibly warm and hospitable place with deeply worried citizens.
Egypt needs the support of the international community at this time to treat its prisoners humanely, promote democracy, get medical care to the wounded and free political prisoners and those arrested off the street and held without charge simply to intimidate the populous and prevent striking. Food prices have skyrocketed and much of the population is at threat of not being able to afford basic staples and maintain work.
My photos are available for free distribution, as is this statement. I stand in solidarity with the political prisoners of Egypt and urge the international community to shine a light on this situation and prevent the militarization and intimidation of a civilian populace. Free and independent journalism without unlawful detention and harassment is a basic guardian of human rights that is being blinded in Egypt at the moment, much to the harm of the people.
Egypt is a beautiful and friendly country, a place I have visited often and where I have made many friends and love to visit and spend time. I am not a member of any political group in or affiliated with Egypt or any Egyptian or other movement. I am a journalist.
We gotta highlight too that another Mahalla-based blogger, Dr. Mamdouh el-Mounir, was detained by the pigs on Tuesday. For continuous updates on the detainees, keep an eye on HMLC, April 6th Strike and Tadamon blogs… More reports of international solidarity (in Arabic) could be found here. Blogger Mina Zekry was in Mahalla, and has a report here.
El-Badeel published a horrific account of the Mahalla citizens injured by Mubarak’s pigs during the riots, including the photo of a 16 year old, named Ahmad Hussein, who lies in El-Salam Hospital in Mansoura critically injured, yet still in handcuffs.
Doctors Without Rights denounced the police treatment of the injured detainees, and called on the Public Prosecutor to open an investigation into the abuse incidents in the Mansoura and Mahalla hospitals. The activist doctors also are lobbying their syndicate to form a delegation that will travel to the Nile Delta to inspect the above mentioned hospitals.
